The Knicks have done some
additional fact-finding on Martin in recent days, sources said.

Martin has
been open-minded about the possibility of accepting a 10-day contract to get
the opportunity to prove his value to the Knicks, sources said.

The great
irony of all of this is that it was Martin who, according to
ESPN.com's Marc Stein, was uninterested in signing for the veteran's
minimum over the offseason. Now Martin is supposedly willing to ink a 10-day
deal just to prove his value.

Martin is
35, a detail requires an obligatory reference to the Knicks' status as the
oldest team in the league ("He's too young to play here!"), but he still has
something left in the tank. While coming off the bench in 42 games for the Los
Angeles Clippers last season, Martin 1.6 blocks and 6.9 rebounds per 36
minutes, although his scoring was practically non existent (5.2 ppg).

The best
thing that can be said about Martin is that he's a veteran defender who knows his
fundamentals. He was known for trapping in his days with the Denver Nuggets,
which is something Knicks coach Mike Woodson has been missing since the team
dealt Jared Jeffries to Portland in the Raymond Felton deal.

And with
Rasheed Wallace nursing a "stress reaction" in his foot and Amar'e Stoudemire
claiming he's still learning now to play defense, having Martin around seems
like a good idea.